Grading apparatus



May 26, 1925.

W. P. BU LLARD GRADING APPARATUS Filed D. 26, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwuanto'o Wz'ZZiam 1-? .BzzZZariZ atbozncq 1,539,349 W. P. BULLARD M GRADING APPARATUS Filed D. fie, 1924 3 SheetsSheec 5 Wizziam J? .BzzZZaraZ t Y atfoz 0 e Patented May 26, 1925.

. UNITED STATES WILLIAM P. IBULLARD, on ALBA-NY, GEORGIA.

GRADING APPARATUS.

Application filed December 26-, 1924. Serial No.1 758,299.

To all whom it may concern:

"Be it known that I, VVILLIAM P. BULLARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at 'Albany, in the county of Dougherty and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grading Apparatus, of which the following is a speciiication.

The present invention relates to grading apparatus, and While particularly intended for grading nuts, it is by no means limited to employment for that purpose.

One of'the objects is to provide novel apparatus of a simple character that will transport articles and deposit them with those of equal size Without danger of injury to such articles.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the invention, i Figure 2 is a'plan View thereof,

Figures 3 and 4 are cross sectional views,

respectively, on the line 33 and t'-4i of Figure 2. i

Figure 5 is a view in elevation of one of the belts indicating the manner ofjoining the ends,

Figure 6 is a detail perspective view of the ends showing the separator and illustrating the coupling, 7

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view at the coupling and on the line 7-7 of Figure 4:,

Figure 8 is a side elevation of the disjointed ends.

In the embodiment disclosed a suitable frame 5 is provided, in theend of which are journal'ed shafts 6. On these shafts are located sets of grooved pulleys 7 preferably of the same diameter. Mounted on the pulleys are endless article bearing belts 8. The upper'stretches 9 of the belt are the active grading members. It will be'noted by reference to Figure 2 that the belts are arranged in sets or batteries, and that those of each are located in divergent relations from the front or receiving end of the grader. As a consequence outside and intermediate belts are provided, forming between them spaces 10 that gradually increase in width. Furthermore, as indicated in Figure 3, each of the intermediate stretches 9 cooperates With both belts on opposite sides of it for supporting the articles to be graded. The upper or active stretches 9 of the belts are preferably supported in suitable gu1d ing troughs 11 placed beneath them and in Which the said stretches slide. The endless belts 8 are preferablyformed; of coiled spring wire, and I have discovered that these belts may be made to turnjon their longitudinal axis by putting the coils under tension. This may be explained as follows: Referring more particularly-to Figures 4+8 inclusive, it will be noted that the ends of the belt are joined bya coupling 12, preferably consisting of a coil of wire whoseoutside diameter is a bit greater than the inside diameter of the belt, so that the corrugations, which I have designated-'13, of

said coupling 12, will interfit with theinside corrugations of the belt. In connectingthe ends of the belt the coupling is engaged in one end of said belt and the other end is then turnedor twisted rearwardly so that it is put under tension and is then engaged with the projecting end of the coupling and threaded on to the same until the two ends of the belt abut, as illustrated in Figure 4. Now if this belt is given more turns or twists rearwardly than is necessary to cause the desired junction, obviously this-belt will be under a rotary tension and I have discovered that undoubtedly itis this tension "that causes the belt to turn on' its longitudinal axis as it is moved by the pulleys 7. For instance the more tensionjof this character that is left in the belt, the more rapidly it will rotate. Furthermore, so as to screw on to the coupling ina right handed manner, and the aforesaid tension is left in it, the belt will turn in aright hand direction. On the other hand if the coils ofthe belt are given a left hand twist and are required to be screwed on to the coupling in a left hand direction, effect is obtained, and the belt will rotate .on its longitudinal axis in a left-hand direction. Any suitable means may be employed for collecting and carrying off the graded articles. Thus as an example and as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the space beneath the upper stretches 9 of the grading belts is subdivided by partitions .14 extending transversely of said belts. 'lraiisve'rselyi moving belts 15, operating in the compartments formed by the partitions 14;, serve to convey away the nuts or articles that drop into the said compartments. 'Ihese belts 15 may have downwardly inclined portions 16 at if one belt is made i the opposite 7 posited 7 the wider side cross-wise,

their delivery ends, suitable directing'rollers 17 being provided for the. purpose.

With this construction, it will be evident that articles delivered on to the receiving end of the grader as for example by cups 18 of endless feeder belts 19, willbe deon coacting stretches 9 of the belts 8 and will be carried toward the rear end of the machine until the space between the stretches 9 is sufficient to permit the articles to pass therethrough. 3 These articles will drop into the compartments formed by the partitions 14 and be carried off by the belts 15. Inasmuch as the belts have a slow romovement on their longitudinal axes, as' indicated in Figure 3, the articles are slowly turned, so that their narrowest portions'will be brought in vertical relation, permitting them to pass through at an earlier stage than would be the case if they were maintained with their widest portions horizontal. This has been found particularly true and highly desirable with pecan nuts, practically all of which have aminor and major cross sectional axis. ,Vhen one of those is deposited on a set of belts with as indicated in Figure 3, it will be turned to a vertical position and thus drop down through the space between the belts much sooner. than if the belts did not individually rotate. I

- The grading of pecan nuts by their smallest diameter is greatly to be desired as otherwise they would be carried forward to a wider opening and consequently drop intov a higher grade than the general characteristics of the nut warrants. This desirable result is accomplished by the turning or rotary action of the coiled steel springs or ropes. Moreover as the belts travel at the same speed and rotate in the same direction it will be evident that the intermediatebelts will properly cooperate with those on opposite sides of them, to effect this desirable turning action.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of theherein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, with-,

1 out further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages ,of the invention. lVhat I claim, is

1. In a grading machine, spaced articlecarrying members, one of which comprises an endless hollow belt of coiled wire, and means for moving said belt longitudinally.

2. In a grading machine, spaced articlecarrying members, one of which comprises an endless belt of coiled wire, the coils of said belt being placed and maintained under transverse rotary tension.

An article carrying belt for grading machines. comprising a coiled wire placed and maintained under transverse rotary tension. I

eL'An article carrying belt for grading machines comprising a coiled wire, and means for joining the ends of. the wire together while maintaining them under a transverse rotary strain. I

5. An article carrying belt for grading machines comprising a hollow coiled wire, the coils of which are capable of relative. movement and screw means connecting the ends ofthe wire together. while maintaining them under atransverse rotary strain.

6. In a grading machine of the character set forth, endless bearing ropesof hollow coiled spring wire, the coils of which are capable of relative movement and pulleys supporting said belts and around which they pass under tension, said pulleys holding coacting stretches of the belts in 3 divergent relation.

7. In a grading machine of the character set forth, endless bearing ropes of hollow i coiled spring wire, the coils of which are capable of relativemovement, pulleyssupporting said belts and around which they pass under tension, said pulleys holdingcoacting stretches of the belts indivergent relation, and means for rotating the pulleys and thereby causing the said stretches to move, longitudinally toward their. divergent ends and at the same time rotate slowly on their longitudinal axes. v

8. In a gradng machine, divergentarticle bearing members, at least one of which comprises a hollow endless belt ofcoiled wire, the coils of which can separate, and a pulley around which the belt passes.

9. In a grading machine, divergent article bearing belts, said belts being hollow and formed of coiled wire, the coils of which can separate, and pulleys around which the belt passes.

10. In a grading machine, the combination with a supporting trough, of an articlecarrying belt of hollow coiled wire, the coils being capable of relative movement, said belt having a stretch laid in the trough and projecting above the same, and means for moving the belt longitudinally in the trough.'

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM P. BULLABD.

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